When the brand new Somerset Berkley Regional High School opens in September, it could also open opportunities for some students who live outside of the district.

In a smart move intended to offset enrollment losses, the Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee approved interim Superintendent Thomas Lynch’s recommendation for the school to participate in the state’s school choice initiative. As a result, the new school will have 42 seats available for out-of-district students who apply for that opportunity.

Under Massachusetts’ school choice initiative, students may apply to attend school in a participating district until graduation, with the student’s home district paying a flat tuition fee of $5,000 set by the state. That covers about half the cost of educating a student, but it can help fill empty seats in classrooms. The extra funds can allow programs to be expanded and teachers to be hired, according to Lynch. Students’ families are responsible for transportation expenses.

The program apparently works well for smaller school districts. Berkley’s elementary and middle school district, which Lynch has led for eight years, has been participating in the school choice program for years. Lynch is a longtime advocate of the initiative. Berkley has 64 out-of-town elementary and middle school students this year. Most come from Taunton, Lakeville and Freetown, with a few from Somerset and Fall River.

More districts that have extra seats should consider participating in the program. This initiative can give a student a better chance at success, tracks of study not available in their home district, or just a fresh start in a new school without the expense of paying for private school.

A majority of Massachusetts school districts participate in the school choice program, but most districts in our area — with the exception of Berkley, Freetown-Lakeville and Bridgewater-Raynham — do not. While some may be concerned school choice could take away resources from troubled urban districts, it could make urban living more attractive to families who would live in the city, but may be concerned about the school district.

Indeed, this program can help relieve overcrowding in urban districts. It could be ideal for families who may be moving out-of-town so students don’t have to be uprooted from their peers. In fact, the lack of school choice options in our area may contribute to the population of students fraudulently attending schools in districts where they do not actually live. The school choice initiative offers such students a chance to legitimately attend the school.

Students should not feel trapped in a school that does not fit their needs as a result of their address or an inability to pay private school tuition. School choice represents yet another option on the educational “menu” for Massachusetts students, including charter schools, private schools and vocational-technical schools. It could be a viable option for families who cannot afford private school or those unable to secure a charter or vocational school seat.

Page 2 of 2 - With a new state-of-the-art, $82 million Somerset Berkley Regional High School offering small class sizes, along with cutting-edge technology, and high quality academics and athletics, this may be an attractive option for families from neighboring areas to consider.